Assessment of
Civic Engagement
Nathan Lindsay and Dan Stroud
University of Missouri-Kansas City
January 17, 2014
Students in my department have an appropriate degree of
civic engagement in their coursework.
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Strongly agree
Agree
Neither agree nor
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Disagree
Strongly disagree
Not applicable
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Our department has done a good job of documenting the
benefits and learning that occurs through civic engagement.
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Strongly agree
Agree
Neither agree nor
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Disagree
Strongly disagree
Not applicable
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1.
Quick Fact #1
More than 70 percent of all college students
report participating in some form of
volunteering, community service, or service
learning during their time in college.
(Source: National Task Force on Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement. 2012. A
Crucible Moment: College Learning & Democracy’s Future. Washington, DC: Association
of American Colleges and Universities.)
Quick Fact #2
About one-half of college students report
participating in credit-bearing service
learning activities during their time in
college.
(Source: National Survey of Student Engagement. 2010. NSSE 2010 Grand Frequencies by
Major, First-Year Students and Seniors. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Center for
Postsecondary Research; Data from the Higher Education Research Institute cited in
O’Neill, Nancy. Forthcoming. Practices that Matter: Educating Students for Personal and
Social Responsibility. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and
Universities.)
Quick Fact #3
Emerging evidence suggests that the more
frequently students participate in a continuum of
civic learning practices (e.g. service learning,
meaningful cross-racial interactions on campus
or in classrooms, or real-world problem-based
learning), the more they make gains on a variety
of civic outcomes.
(Sources: Blaich, C. and Wise, K. 2011. “Wabash National Study findings on Personal and Social Responsibility.” Unpublished data provided by
the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education; Bowen, Glenn. 2010. “Service-Learning in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning:
Effective Practices.” International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. 4(2): 1-15; Eyler, Janet S., Giles, Dwight E., Stenson,
Christine M., Gray, Charlene J. 2001. At a Glance: What We Know about The Effects of Service-Learning on College Students, Faculty,
Institutions and Communities, 1993-2000: Third Edition. Retrieved 10/12/10 from http://www.compact.org/wp
content/uploads/resources/downloads/aag.pdf); Hurtado, Sylvia and DeAngelo, Linda. Forthcoming 2012. “Linking Diversity and Civic-Minded
Practices with Student Outcomes: New Evidence from CIRP National Surveys.” Liberal Education. 98 (2).)
Civic and Community Engagement
–UMKC Gen Ed Outcomes
 Students will be able to identify the problems, challenges,




and opportunities of an urban university.
Students will understand their relationship to both a local
and global community and the social, political, and cultural
issues therein.
Students will develop an appreciation for the meaning and
global impact of urbanization.
Students will have an understanding of the U.S. and
Missouri Constitutions and their impact on issues facing
these various communities.
Students will engage with the UMKC community of
learners.
Examples of High Impact Experiences

Anchor III Courses (Team-taught interdisciplinary courses focused
on civic engagement).

Service Learning (Service learning is a teaching method that
combines community service with academic instruction as it focuses
on critical, reflective thinking and civic responsibility).

Study Abroad (Study abroad consists of educational activities
completed outside of the United States—these activities can include
classroom study, research, internships or externships, and service
learning).

Internships (An internship is an opportunity to integrate career related
experience into an undergraduate education by participating in
planned, supervised work).

Other???
Enhancing High-Impact Practices
What data do you have in your department on the
following high-impact practices?
What recommendations do you have for collecting data
(at the departmental and institutional levels)?

Service Learning

Internships

Study Abroad

Other?
Carnegie Community Engagement
Classification
 Describes collaboration between institutions of higher
education and their larger communities on local,
state, national and global levels.
 Is an elective classification based on voluntary
participation by an institution.
 Evidenced based documentation of institutional
practice to be used in a process of self-assessment
and quality improvement.
 Takes place on a five year cycle.
Liberal Education and
America’s Promise (LEAP)
 First established in 2005, the program champions an
importance placed upon a 21st century liberal education
offered to individuals with the hope of greater economic
creativity and a more relevant and driven democratic
society.
 Responds to demands for more college educated workers
as well as better informed and engaged citizens.
Liberal Education and
America’s Promise (LEAP)
What Program Promotes
 Essential Learning Outcomes
- used
as a guiding vision for college learning
 High-Impact Educational Practices
- aids students in achievement of elevated outcomes
 Authentic Assessments
- applies student learning to outside real world
expectations
 Inclusive Excellence
- everyone should receive engaged and practical
education
Possibilities for Assessment
 Student self-reflection (evaluated by a rubric
that addresses the course’s civic education
learning outcomes)
 Student essay (also evaluated by a rubric)
 Exam on civic engagement principles
 Focus group or survey asking students about
the learning outcomes
 Evaluation from the community partners
AAC&U Civic Engagement
Value Rubric
Definition
 Civic engagement is “working to make a difference in the
civic life of our communities and developing the combination
of knowledge, skills, values, and motivation to make that
difference.”
 “It means promoting the quality of life in a community,
through both political and non-political processes." (Excerpted
from Civic Responsibility and Higher Education, edited by Thomas Ehrlich, published
by Oryx Press, 2000, Preface, page vi.)
 Consists of activities of personal and public concern that are
both individually life enriching and socially beneficial to the
community.
Civic Engagement Value Rubric
General Education Assessment Report —
(due October 1st each year)
Example from Pol-Sci 309: Public Opinion
Expected General Education Outcomes
 Students will analyze, interpret and/or reconstruct human
events, experiences, actions, and interactions.
 Students will examine principles of value and civic duty in
a wide range of settings and will demonstrate an
understanding of personal values and the values of others.
 Students will be able to identify ethical problems using
their understanding of ethical theory and moral reasoning.
General Education Assessment Report
Pol-Sci 309: Public Opinion
How will outcomes be addressed?
 Through exposure to factors such as values, media, socialization, and
those of genetic consequence.
 Through lectures, scholarly research, and discussion, students will
evaluate the existence and prevalence of a deep division in American
Politics.
How will outcomes be assessed?
 Direct Assessment - Written rubrics for formal assignments
(quizzes, exams, lab assignments, and research papers)
 Indirect Assessment
(in-class discussion, small group problem solving, and
feedback from faculty)
Student Learning Outcomes and Assessments
Pol-Sci 309: Public Opinion
Measures, Findings, and Closing the Assessment Loop
Learning
Outcome
Indirect
Assessment
Measures
Direct
Assessment
Measures
Competency
Defined
Achievement
Target
Results
Action Plan
80%
Competency
87%
Competency
Modify exam to
maximize
student’s ability
to convey
knowledge and
understanding
of material and
spend an
additional week
discussing the
evidence and
incorporate
lecture material
80%
Competency
100%
Competency
Continue
current
methods
Rubric Score>80
(B-)
Explain the
formation of
public opinion
including the
role of human
values
Responses to inclass questions
and group
activities
Explain the
formation of
public opinion
including the
role of human
values
Responses to
in-class
questions and
group activities
Midterm Exam
(Essay Question)
Rubric
Score>80 (B-)
Quiz 2
Grading Rubric
Pol-Sci 309: Public Opinion
Midterm Essay
Essay Prompt: Do you believe a culture war exists in this country? Why or why not? In answering this question, be certain to discuss
your definition of a culture war and the arguments and evidence discussed in the readings (the media readings, Fiorina, and Abramowitz
and Sanders).
Poor
Sentences and
paragraphs are difficult
to read and understand
due to poor grammar or
mechanics.
There appears to be no
organization of the
content.
Needs Improvement
Contains numerous
grammar and
mechanical errors
Good
Contains minimal
grammar or mechanical
errors
Excellent
Clear and concise and
contains no grammatical
or mechanical errors
Organization is difficult to
follow, due to inadequate
transitions and/or
rambling format.
Can be easily followed.
A combination of the
following is apparent:
Basic transitions and a
structured format are
used.
Can be easily followed. A
combination of the
following is apparent:
Effective transitions and a
structured format are
used.
Define the Culture War
Does not define the
Culture War
Defines the culture war,
but provides few details
Defines the culture war
with sufficient detail
Explain and appraise
the theoretical
arguments
Does not fully explain or
appraise the arguments
in any meaningful way
Explains the arguments,
but does not appraise
the arguments.
Explains and appraise the
arguments with sufficient
detail
Evaluate the evidence
Does not fully describe
or evaluate the evidence
in any meaningful way
Describes the evidence,
but does not evaluate
the evidence.
Describes and evaluates
the evidence with
sufficient detail
Specify an argument
An attempt to make an
argument is made, but
the argument is unclear.
Attempts to define the
culture war, but does not
do so effectively
Attempts to explain and
appraise the arguments
but does not do so
effectively
Attempts to describe and
evaluate the evidence
but does not do so
effectively
An argument is
presented, but it requires
the reader to reconstruct
it from the essay.
Contains a clear
argument, but provides
few details or
connections to the
evidence.
Specifies a clear
argument (i.e., it is clear
exactly what the author is
trying to communicate).
Mechanics and
Grammar
Organization
Organization and
coherence of ideas
“Great Expectations”
for Civic Engagement
“Some men see things as they are
and say why? I dream things that
never were and say, why not?”
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Quoting George Bernard Shaw